Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
The Saginaw News - Saginaw is blowing smoke over Michigan's new medical marijuana law. Through the haze, we can sort of see what city leaders are after with a proposed moratorium on medical marijuana-related businesses.
But before the City Council goes any further with this half-baked notion, we urge the city's staff to zero in on exactly what it wants to achieve.
As it was, on Dec. 21, 22 people from here and around the state spoke out against the plan to prevent new patients from registering with the state for medical marijuana and to stop new caregivers from growing the stuff in the city. The ban would last for six months, until the city can figure out zoning restrictions for medical marijuana businesses.
Zoning medical marijuana?
Medical marijuana businesses?
No wonder Mayor Greg Branch said of the proposal that night: "I don't think this one's fully cooked."
The council tabled the proposal until a Jan. 11 meeting.
Before then, all City Council members ought to examine Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law carefully.
First and foremost, it allows patients who have paid their $100 and registered with the state to grow up to 12 marijuana plants for their own use -- in a locked, secured room or facility. How does the city zone that kind of indoors, home gardening?
State law does allow registered caregivers to grow as many as 12 plants for each of a maximum of five patients, and collect "reasonable compensation."
Yet, city attorney Thomas H. Fancher maintains that the city needs the moratorium and subsequent zoning to crack down on commercialization of medical marijuana.
Yes, it does appear that the state law might allow a small cottage industry for marijuana growers supplying a very limited -- a maximum of five -- clientele.
Using our fingers and toes, we count a maximum of 60 plants that one caregiver could grow for less than a half dozen patients.
With the electrical draw of lights, ventilation and the humidity of such an indoors operation, the city might have a solid argument in favor of zoning these larger indoors gardens.
But that's our guess, not the city's argument.
Saginaw's original moratorium would have stopped anyone in the city from becoming a medical marijuana patient for six months. Those who already are registered patients and caregivers would be grandfathered in and allowed to continue.
It isn't the city's place, though, to get between patients and a state law that voters overwhelmingly approved in every one of Michigan's 83 counties in 2008.
The people spoke, and said patients who doctors say might benefit from medical marijuana should be allowed to grow and use it.
Rather than throw a lasso around that law and say "whoa!" across the entire city for six months, City Council should step away from its proposed moratorium and devote the time to modifying city codes to accommodate the will of the people.
A small, one-patient basement garden, for example, might need an upgrade in wiring, maybe bars on the windows and a vent to make it safe against fires and secure from thieves.
Larger caregiver operations probably ought to be zoned to buildings that can accommodate them.
But it's unreasonable to justify this proposed moratorium -- to keep patients from the drug that state law says they can use -- with a claim that the city needs to study zoning for shops selling growing equipment or marijuana paraphernalia.
Existing laws already govern or prohibit the sale of most marijuana-specific smoking supplies.
And what is the city going to do, clamp down on garden stores that dabble in, say, hydroponics?
Leave the patients be -- both those who are registered and those who might register in the next six months.
Then by all means study how the city can accommodate an overly vague state law that legalizes some marijuana use, but leaves everyone hanging on how they might get their hands on the drugs, or even its seeds.
The haze clinging to the medical marijuana law definitely needs to be cleared.
But Saginaw shouldn't add to the confusion with a plan that would keep patients from the relief they seek.
Original title:
CITYWIDE MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA WOULD STAND BETWEEN PATIENTS AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
changed due to length
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Saginaw News (MI)
Copyright: 2009 The Saginaw News
Contact: The Saginaw News - Email the Editor
Website: Saginaw, MI News, Sports, Business, Entertainment - Everything Michigan
But before the City Council goes any further with this half-baked notion, we urge the city's staff to zero in on exactly what it wants to achieve.
As it was, on Dec. 21, 22 people from here and around the state spoke out against the plan to prevent new patients from registering with the state for medical marijuana and to stop new caregivers from growing the stuff in the city. The ban would last for six months, until the city can figure out zoning restrictions for medical marijuana businesses.
Zoning medical marijuana?
Medical marijuana businesses?
No wonder Mayor Greg Branch said of the proposal that night: "I don't think this one's fully cooked."
The council tabled the proposal until a Jan. 11 meeting.
Before then, all City Council members ought to examine Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law carefully.
First and foremost, it allows patients who have paid their $100 and registered with the state to grow up to 12 marijuana plants for their own use -- in a locked, secured room or facility. How does the city zone that kind of indoors, home gardening?
State law does allow registered caregivers to grow as many as 12 plants for each of a maximum of five patients, and collect "reasonable compensation."
Yet, city attorney Thomas H. Fancher maintains that the city needs the moratorium and subsequent zoning to crack down on commercialization of medical marijuana.
Yes, it does appear that the state law might allow a small cottage industry for marijuana growers supplying a very limited -- a maximum of five -- clientele.
Using our fingers and toes, we count a maximum of 60 plants that one caregiver could grow for less than a half dozen patients.
With the electrical draw of lights, ventilation and the humidity of such an indoors operation, the city might have a solid argument in favor of zoning these larger indoors gardens.
But that's our guess, not the city's argument.
Saginaw's original moratorium would have stopped anyone in the city from becoming a medical marijuana patient for six months. Those who already are registered patients and caregivers would be grandfathered in and allowed to continue.
It isn't the city's place, though, to get between patients and a state law that voters overwhelmingly approved in every one of Michigan's 83 counties in 2008.
The people spoke, and said patients who doctors say might benefit from medical marijuana should be allowed to grow and use it.
Rather than throw a lasso around that law and say "whoa!" across the entire city for six months, City Council should step away from its proposed moratorium and devote the time to modifying city codes to accommodate the will of the people.
A small, one-patient basement garden, for example, might need an upgrade in wiring, maybe bars on the windows and a vent to make it safe against fires and secure from thieves.
Larger caregiver operations probably ought to be zoned to buildings that can accommodate them.
But it's unreasonable to justify this proposed moratorium -- to keep patients from the drug that state law says they can use -- with a claim that the city needs to study zoning for shops selling growing equipment or marijuana paraphernalia.
Existing laws already govern or prohibit the sale of most marijuana-specific smoking supplies.
And what is the city going to do, clamp down on garden stores that dabble in, say, hydroponics?
Leave the patients be -- both those who are registered and those who might register in the next six months.
Then by all means study how the city can accommodate an overly vague state law that legalizes some marijuana use, but leaves everyone hanging on how they might get their hands on the drugs, or even its seeds.
The haze clinging to the medical marijuana law definitely needs to be cleared.
But Saginaw shouldn't add to the confusion with a plan that would keep patients from the relief they seek.
Original title:
CITYWIDE MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA WOULD STAND BETWEEN PATIENTS AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
changed due to length
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Saginaw News (MI)
Copyright: 2009 The Saginaw News
Contact: The Saginaw News - Email the Editor
Website: Saginaw, MI News, Sports, Business, Entertainment - Everything Michigan
